BoCo the Diesel Engine
by The Blue Engine
Summary: Whilst held up by an accident, BoCo recalls to a troubled Cole the tale of his first weeks on Sodor, and reveals the hardship he suffered due to the steam engines distrust and dislike of diesel engines. BoCo teaches Cole a lesson as he recalls the struggles he had, primarily with Gordon and James, in getting himself accepted as a part of Sodor.
1. Introduction

******Hello! It has been a while since my last RWS book, so apologises for that! It is a bit different, as I am doing a _Very Old Engines-_inspired story about BoCo's first weeks on Sodor told from his perspective, to both try something different and tell a recurring theme from the books (the modernization of British Railways) from a diesel's perspective for a hopefully fresh twist on the old plotline. I hope you all enjoy my take on BoCo's early Sodor life!**

**Boco the Diesel Engine**

Dear Readers,

It has been many years since BoCo first arrived on the Fat Controller's Railway. You may remember how Bill and Ben gave him quite a fright, only for the Metropolitan Vicker to get one back when he protected Gordon from them. Unfortunately, I have never written about his adventures any further. This thought occurred to me a few months ago, and I wondered if I had missed some tales in the diesel's life.

I made some enquiries, and found out from friends at Tidmouth and Wellsworth that there were some parts of BoCo's tale I had completely missed. I went to see the diesel and asked him why I had never heard about his struggles. BoCo simply smiled, and he began to stare off into the distance as if looking back in time.

"It is funny, Cole asked me the same thing just the other week," he replied, "and I will tell you what I told him then: sometimes the past is best left in the past, and should only be told in the present when it will help us in the future."

I was moved by his statement, and BoCo relented to tell me the same tales he had told Cole. I hope you enjoy this untold tale in the diesel's life in his own words, and see a side of BoCo I never knew existed,

The Author


	2. Shunting and Parking

**Shunting and Parking**

"Those little yellow monsters!"

The sun was hanging directly over Wellsworth Station, and the heat was unavoidable and unbearable. An accident had occurred further up the line, and BoCo would have to wait for up to an hour for the wreckage to be cleared. He was not looking forward to spending that time trapped under the sun, but after hearing those words sound out behind him, BoCo smiled, knowing that it could only mean one thing. It was unfortunately said too frequently around Wellsworth Station, and only a short time ago BoCo had been amongst them.

"Something the matter?" He said, trying to hide the amusement from his voice, and turned to face Cole. The saddle tank had fitted in nicely with amongst the railway once Edward had begun to accept the changes, and BoCo believed they had become friends on the several occasions they had spoken. But today, Cole did not look friendly in the slightest. He was red in the face and looked ready to bash something, and BoCo could only wonder what the twins had done now.

"It's Bill and Ben!" Cole huffed, coming to a halt on the other side of the station. "Every time I think I am making progress with them, they pull another trick! Today I went to collect some Hoods from the quarry, and they told me which train to take, but said it was going to be lighter than normal. I stupidly believed them, and they let me leave with twenty empty trucks!" BoCo couldn't contain himself, and a laugh escaped from his lips. He chortled to himself for a few moments before noticing the glare Cole was giving him, along with those from the passengers impatiently awaiting their overdue next train.

"So sorry, but I could not help myself," the diesel said. "I was usually the one at the end of Bill and Ben's tricks, and it is refreshing to see that they have decided to move on." Cole did not look as amused as BoCo was, and the diesel managed to calm himself down after a few moments, though the laughter remained in his eyes.

"At least you were able to control them after a while, or so I've heard," Cole said. "And I know that they still respect you, so they would not dare do anything to you now." Cole sighed, and BoCo's humour died away as he realised than how much this issue was bothering the saddle tank. "How am I supposed to get them to respect me?" BoCo fell silent at this, memories instantly rushing back to him as he remembered himself thinking those same words many decades ago.

"It is a difficult process to earn respect," BoCo said, shutting his eyes and smiling. "It was easy for me to earn Bill and Ben's, but that was due to certain circumstances. For the other main line engines, it was a much tougher process for them to accept having a diesel entering their line." Cole was shocked by this, as he had always seen BoCo getting along quite well with the steam engines, and never would have thought there was any hostility between them. BoCo looked across at him, his smile a mixture of happy and sad, and he began to imagine the events as if they had happened yesterday...

* * *

"I started working on Sodor during a dark time. The British Government were looking to modernize their railways, and steam engines were being replaced with diesel engines. Sodor went unaffected by these calls, largely due to the Fat Controller's determination and passion to keep steam engines available and his continued independence in the running of his line. However, several engines, such as Donald and Douglas, were unfortunate enough to have been effected by the dieselisation, and other engines had a great deal of mistrust for diesels.

"I am saddened to say that not all diesels are friendly creatures. Many are overcome by feelings of superiority towards steam engines, seeing themselves as more modern, reliable and overall better vessels of transportation. I have never thought this personally, but when I arrived on Sodor, it had been just under a decade since a cruel shunting diesel had caused mayhem for Duck and the main line engines, and it was difficult for them to trust an engine like me.

"When I started my work on Edward's branch line, Edward was quick to look past my exterior and befriend me. Than Duck, who had been most affected by Diesel, was ironically one of the first engines to warm to me. I would not have managed without their companionship, and I still count them amongst my closest friends. Sadly, I cannot say the same for everyone."

* * *

'Is it not just so depressing and heart breaking to think that our fellow comrades are being heaved onto scrap heaps and melted down into spare parts? It is hard to imagine that it is happening right now, just a few hours away. I knew that this day was coming, my friends, but I wish that I had been wrong.'

'I always remember Stepney whenever I think of this _modernisation_,' Henry said within my first week of arrival. 'He had come so close to being scrapped, do you remember?'

'Of course. Donald and Douglas too. I may not be a fan of our Caledonian brethren, but no engine should endure the threat of scrap,' Gordon replied.

"These were the discussions Gordon, James and Henry would have once I moved into Tidmouth Sheds, and it was clear from the tones in their voices that they were aiming their words towards me. I cannot be sure if these talks had been happening for weeks, months or even years before I arrived, but it was a common discussion nonetheless, and I was forced to listen to it every night. For the first nights, I slept facing the same direction as them, and it was impossible to escape the glares that came my way: Henry and James were unable to contain their anger, staring at me as viciously as they may have looked at this Diesel character. Gordon, however… Gordon is far too proper and proud to simply glare down at another engine. His face would be blank as if they were simply discussing the day's weather, but his eyes had a steely coldness that I struggle to forget. He looks at me with warmth and friendship now, but I will always remember the looks Gordon gave me when we first met.

"After a week, I asked my driver if I could face the other way over night. It was a simple process of being rotated on the turntable, but it was still daunting all the same. I did not want the engines to think me weak and that their words had gotten to them, or send off the wrong message that I was too important to look the same way as them, but I did not feel comfortable facing the same direction. Duck copied my moves, and I was able to talk to him and learn all the stories from his time and before on Sodor, being careful to avoid any embarrassing tales of the three engines next to me, and I began to feel more relaxed. But still the three tender engines discussed the situation on the Other Railway as if I was not even there, and it pains me to say that those discussions were hurtful."

* * *

"I arrived during what can be called simply a long and busy summer, similar to the one we are currently in. All the engines were rushed off their wheels trying to get the jobs done, and I found myself being sent all over the place. I had been purchased to move trucks from Brendam and Wellsworth to Tidmouth, but I was soon asked to help with the other freight trains that needed to be moved, along with extra passenger trains brought on by summer. I had pulled the Express on one of my earlier days, and I believe that played a role in upsetting the engines. I do not believe a diesel had ever taken it before, and while I was honoured to be the first, I knew it irked the steam engines to think their pride and joy was being tampered with, the sacred honour that they all clamoured for, so I did my best to avoid taking that again and settled for simple trains."

"Are you crazy?" Cole said with a nervous laugh, not sure if it was appropriate. "If I had the strength to pull the Express, I'd do it in a heartbeat!" BoCo laughed as well, knowing too well this view that the train had, especially now that it was done solely through Pip and Emma, an irony BoCo was not sure how to put into words.

"I miss it now that there is no chance of taking it, but at the time, it was something I could do without. I got glared at simply for passing through Tidmouth Station during my first weeks, and Duck had warned me about even saying 'Hello' to Donald and Douglas."

"As you can imagine, I was looking for any possible way to prove to them that I was not the typical diesel they had come to expect. I have always tried to avoid making myself obvious to other engines, as I believe it can be vulgar and off putting, but I was being harshly judged on the actions of diesels that had come before me and left an awful stink that I could not shake. So whenever I had the chance, I would look for ways to try and bond or help out the other engines.

* * *

"I remember one day when it was an absolutely scorching, and I was waiting at Tidmouth Station for Duck to fetch my train. I watched as passengers got out of the coaches and instantly rushed towards the café to get cold drinks and find a place to cool down. Gordon had pulled up next to me, and he looked red in the face from the heat and more tired than I had ever seen him. I was concerned of overheating myself, and I remember wondering if the heat would cause Gordon any problems.

'Is someone going to take these coaches away, or do I have to shunt them myself?' The blue engine fumed. 'I have just come all the way from Vicarstown, I do not need to exert myself more than necessary.'

'I am sorry Gordon, but Duck has just been called away to the harbour to deal with an accident,' the stationmaster explained, having appeared a moment after the engine had arrived. 'You are going to have to shunt your own coaches away.' At the time, I did not realise that I had been waiting twenty minutes for my train but received no word of Duck not shunting the trucks, but at the sheds that night, it finally clicked that it was not just the engines that were showing prejudice towards diesels.

But at the time, I knew that I had just come across an opportunity to show my true nature to these engines.

'I will shunt the coaches for you,' I said, and I remember Gordon jumped at the sound of my voice. 'I am going to have to shunt my own trucks now anyway, so I do not mind taking your coaches.'

'That sounds like a fair deal,' the Express engines driver said, though Gordon himself made no comment. He did not thank me or insist that he do it himself, like he may have done if Henry or James had offered, but I could see something in his eyes. I was not sure what it was, but it was more reassuring than I had come to expect, and I smiled to think that I may be making improvements."

* * *

"However, I must say that this plan did not go as well as I would have liked," BoCo continued, and he began to chortle. Cole was taken aback, as the diesel's story was quite depressing, and was curious as to what could be so funny about getting shunned by your fellow engines.

"You see, I had completely forgotten that a railway inspector was coming that day. When rails get too hot, they sometimes will expand and move out of place, which can cause serious accidents. An inspector who specializes in looking for damaged rails was coming to ensure areas of track along the main line were safe to use. It was important that this work got done, and if I had remembered, I would have been a bit more careful.

"I took Gordon's coaches across the yards near the station, and I did my best at shunting them. It was difficult as I have a much longer body than Duck, so I did not want to end up stuck within sidings, but the coaches were kind and caring and appreciated my careful touch and gentle words.

"As I shunted, I noticed a car pulling up. It was speeding, and caused several workers crossing the yard to leap aside. I thought that it was quite inappropriate, and I was not impressed when the car parked only a few metres from the line and the driver quickly rushed out, his crimson coat flapping behind him like a superhero cape.

'Idiot, he could have seriously hurt someone, or crashed into the trucks,' my driver complained, and he continued to mutter about confronting the driver if we will still here when he returned. I was annoyed as well, but my mind was elsewhere as I continued to think about the engine's harsh words and how I could prove them wrong.

"If I had been paying more attention, than I may have noticed as the car rolled forwards onto the tracks. It appears the driver had been in such a rush he had not put the handbrake on, and the car slowly moved onto the rails. The car did not go any further than the edge of the sleepers, which acted as a sort of buffer, but the front bumper remained dangling over my line.

"I had finally sorted out Gordon's coaches and had even prepared some for James to take in an hour, which left me with only my trucks to gather. They were mostly fuel tankers that stood in one line on their own, but there were also coal trucks and cargo that had just arrived from the harbour, and they were all sitting in one siding –"

"A siding that had a car sitting in it?" Cole asked with a smile, and BoCo's eyes twinkled.

"I shunted the fuel tankers backwards towards the siding, as we thought it would be easier. My driver was unfortunately looking the wrong way, and there was no one else around to warn us of the incoming disaster. I only heard a scraping sound, felt a jolt throughout my train, and than a metallic clang as something hit the ground.

'Did you hear that?' I asked my driver, but he had been focussed on controlling the train that he had not paid any attention. I guessed it must have been the trucks playing tricks and put no thought into it. A moment later, The Fat Controller, a different one to our current operator, appeared escorting a man through the yard. The Fat Controller had been perfectly happy to purchase a diesel and had always been kind to me, but I still felt like I should impress him and smiled as the controller approached us.

'This is my latest purchase BoCo, the first diesel I have properly owned,' I heard him explain to the gentleman. 'I have been wary of buying diesels, but his old owner assured me he was a fine locomotive, and I could not turn down the oppor –"

'MY CAR!' The man cried, and it was only then that I recognized the coat I had been amused by less than five minutes ago, and I remembered the car, and as the man was walking with The Fat Controller, I was able to work out who it was…"

* * *

Cole was able to laugh now, and BoCo continued to chortle himself, the memory of the Inspector's angered and shocked face coming back to him, along with The Fat Controller's slack-jawed expression as he saw what one of his engines had just done.

"It was no laughing matter at the time. The front bumper had been torn off, the bonnet was scratched and dented and the front lights were smashed. I believe it had been a very new purchase for the Inspector, so you can imagine how angry he was, as well as how guilty and shocked I was."

'It seems our inspectors never have a good run when it comes to diesels,' The Fat Controller said to me later, after the car had been towed to be fixed and the Inspector had angrily left to complete his work. 'That does not mean I condone this behaviour! It was a simple accident, but next time be more careful. Duck has been shunting in these yards for years, and never once has he ploughed into cars.'

'I am sorry sir, though I doubt many people would be so careless with their possessions,' I replied, and I remember the Fat Controller laughing as he strolled away. His good humour helped me to relax, and I was no longer worried about facing the consequences for it, though I must say that I was still rattled about it for some time, and ensured I was extra cautious as I went about my duties that day.

As you must know, word spreads quickly on this little railway of ours, and in the shed that night, I could not help but overhear Gordon, Henry and James, as always.

'I must say something for Thomas and Percy,' Gordon said to the others, ensuring his voice carried across to Duck and I. 'They may have been fairly annoying, tricky little creatures, but at least _they_ never thought it a good idea to ram into an inspector's car. The insolence of some engines…' Based on what else I have said, you would have thought I would be hurt by his insult and may have fallen silent. However, I laughed just as The Fat Controller had a few hours previously. I thought it was a _brilliant_ joke on Gordon's part, and Duck seemed to think so as well, as after a few moments he laughed as well. I almost wished I had been facing the other way to see their faces when it began, and that thought only made me laugh more.

I am not sure entirely what the three engines thought to do, but I can tell you this Cole, it was at that moment I realised laughter was the only thing that could beat them and prove to them their words had no effect on me. I still aimed to prove that I was better than the diesels they were basing me on, but for those few moments were laughter filled the entire shed, I felt happier and stronger than I had in days, and knew that, eventually, I would be able to win those engines over."


	3. Fuelling the Flames

**Fuelling the Flames**

It appeared that the accident was not being cleared any time soon, as BoCo could see the stationmaster talking irritably on the phone as the diesel peered through his window. The entire main line seemed to be coming to a halt, as Cole's crew had joined BoCo's driver in the staff lounge, leaving their engines to swelter with many passengers in the sun.

"So, are you going to get back to the serious side of your first few weeks, or is this all going to be ways you embarrassed yourself and the railway?" Cole asked cheekily, and BoCo chortled once more, pleased to see the saddle tank was moving away from his anger with Bill and Ben.

"Oh yes, it is all hardships on the Island of Sodor!" The diesel said with a slight smirk. "As you can imagine, the steam engines did not take too kindly to me laughing off crashing into the Inspector's car, and though I enjoyed putting them in their place, I became a bit nervous that it may have pushed them away further. Instead, it appeared that I had forced them to find new ways of complaining about me."

* * *

'Henry, can you smell something?' Gordon said about a week after I had crashed into the car. Duck and I were still facing the opposite direction, so we were only able to hear half of the conversations they had, but this one instantly got our attention.

'Smell something?' Henry replied in genuine confusion. 'What sort of something?' Gordon made a grunting noise, possibly as he had not received the desired answer, and he moved on to the next engine.

'What about you James, can you smell this odd aroma?' The blue engine called out. 'It has been hanging around our sheds for a few weeks now.' Duck and I exchanged looks at this, knowing where Gordon was going, but James had not yet caught onto the joke.

'I can't smell anything!' He said in a whine. 'What am I supposed to smell?'

'Fuel!' Gordon cried dramatically, and Duck and I nodded knowingly and rolled our eyes to our own amusement. 'Even since our new green… friend has arrived, the smell of fuel has been increasing for weeks! I must tell you both, it is making my eyes water just thinking about it! Barrels of sticky black fuel keep getting piled high in the corner of our shed, and the foul substance seems to end up more on the ground than it does inside the diesel! I saw a large patch as I pulled into the shed tonight, covering two sets of track, and my driver told me it was fuel! What if someone had an accident by slipping upon spilt fuel and crashing into the walls? It is simply outrageous!'

'Are you showing genuine concern for the rest of us Gordon, or are you afraid that _you_ are going to end up slipping on it?' Duck called out with a sly grin Gordon didn't see. I imagine Gordon was pleased to have drawn us into conversation, though his tone only highlighted his annoyance at Duck's mocking.

'I certainly won't slip on filthy fuel!' Gordon huffed. 'I am not stupid enough to go anyway near the near stuff!'

'Than who are you saying is stupid enough to slip on fuel?' I asked, and Gordon fell silent, having just backed himself into a corner that he could not get out of, and I felt satisfied with putting him in his place. 'You know what I find troublesome Duck?' I asked before Gordon could recover.

'What's that BoCo?'

'Coal. I am not sure if you would notice this, but I always find coal to be quite messy. I took several trains of it last week, and my paint became so covered in coal dust that you wouldn't know I was painted green! And whenever I push the trucks, I always see pieces of coal bouncing off onto the rails. Imagine what might happen if an engine came racing along the tracks and struck a piece of coal! The result would be disastrous.'

'I never thought of it that way,' Duck replied, and I remember him struggling terribly not to laugh. His pained face was so hilarious that I nearly cracked up myself, but the two of us managed to remain silent, and for the first time the shed was utterly quiet as I left Gordon, Henry and James with a lot to think about."

* * *

"The next morning, I went back to Edward's branch line. I slept at Tidmouth Sheds as it was easier after delivering my last train of the day to Tidmouth Harbour, whatever it may be, than continuing to race backwards and forwards across the Island. I always found it refreshing to escape the darkness and tension of the sheds and sail by open fields and past homely cottages and let the fresh air and wind wash across my face. Edward's line, as I am sure you are aware by now, possesses its own uniqueness in lifestyle and landscape, and for the most part is more quaint and relaxed than the city life that encompasses the rest of Sodor, and during those first weeks, it felt as though I was travelling to an entirely different place free of any of the anger that the Main Line held.

"That day, as always, my destination was Brendam Bay. The small harbour was different back then, with old wooden cranes starting to slowly give way to metal devices that would now be considered outdated, fewer boats came in than today, and there were only a few warehouses, some of which are still standing, but it was slowly growing into the harbour it is today.

"When I arrived, I found Bill and Ben had just arrived with the same sort of trucks you currently have behind you. Edward was there as well, about to depart with a long line of full coaches, and it was pleasing to see someone smiling at me for once.

'Hello BoCo,' Edward called with a beam as I came to a halt near my trucks. 'It seems I have been seeing you less and less! I do hope that the main line engines have not claimed you for their own so shortly after you arrived here.' I laughed, though Edward's comments inadvertently brought my mood down.

'Don't worry, there is no chance of that happening any time soon,' I replied, and sadness must have shown in my voice as Edward's face sunk.

'Are Gordon, James and Henry still struggling to accept a diesel in their midst?' The wise engine asked. 'Duck mentioned to me when I took some enthusiasts to Tidmouth that they were being a pain.' I said nothing, but was pleased that Duck had told Edward for me, as I would not have been able to at the time. 'They are always difficult when it comes to accepting change. They were more willing to be locked in their sheds for weeks than shunt their own trucks and coaches after Thomas left Tidmouth, but they learnt their lesson in the end. Hang in there and give it a few weeks, and I am sure they will be worn down eventually.'

'Gordon tried to say my fuel was endangering his life last night,' I replied with a hint of a smile, 'so I countered with the dangers of coal falling from trucks.' Edward laughed exactly as the guard blew the whistle, and a cloud of steam erupted around him.

'Put Gordon in his place and he will back down once he realizes there is no way he can win,' he called as he set off. 'But if he keeps being a pain, don't be afraid to come and talk to me! I can deal with him in a flash!' I watched as Edward left, feeling sadder than when I had arrived. I felt more at home on Edward's line than the Main Line, even though I spent most of my time there, and Edward only made me worry that I was not going to get through to those engines. His offer to deal with them for me was kind, but I did not want another engine to fight that battle for me as the three engines would never respect me if I did." Cole understood where BoCo was coming from: he wanted to stop Bill and Ben annoying him, but asking another engine to stop them would only provoke them further.

"I backed down upon the trucks awaiting me and waited for the shunter to couple me up. I would have liked to have spent longer at Brendam, staring out at the water as it calmly crashed against the sides of the harbour, watching the gulls flying overhead, enjoying the simplistic peace that even this busy place had, and delay the time before I would have to return to the main line and the hatred.

'So, Gordon's being a pain, is he?' A voice suddenly spoke to my right.

'He does seem like that painful sort of engine, doesn't he?' Another, nearly identical voice said to my left. I am sure you would have had similar experiences with this, and even though it had happened to me before, I was still stunned to suddenly find two yellow engines on either side of me."

"That is _very_ familiar," Cole laughed, and for a few moments, both engines could not help but chortle to themselves.

'Hello Bill and Ben,' I said once I had gotten over the shock. I had presumed they had gone back to the China Clay Works after delivering the trucks, but there they were, looking at me with wide eyes and devious smiles that I was beginning to find familiar. I was not close with the twins yet, and back then, I did not want either of them going around spurting tales of me tattling on Gordon to Edward, or however those devils may have twisted it. 'Yes, Gordon is being a bit of a pain, but it is nothing for you to worry about.'

'Are you sure?' Bill asked. 'We know how much of a pain Gordon can be –'

'He is always a pain to us, you see,' Ben interrupted.

'We can put a stop to him if you like.'

'He won't even see it coming – you didn't!'

'Thank you for the kind offer, but I think I can deal with him on my own,' I replied, and that moment, the guard blew his whistle and I roared back into life. I left happy once more as I imagined what Bill and Ben might have been planning, and that smile stuck with me all day. However, I do remember Bill and Ben exchanging glances just as I pulled away, and I have a feeling that they got revenge on Gordon in the end, but that comes into play later…"

* * *

"Later that week, I was moving along the Main Line towards Wellsworth with a train of fuel tankers rattling behind me, en route for Brendam. It had been a stormy day, with grey clouds in the sky and cold wind roaring across the land. However, after weeks of intense sunlight and heat, it was more of a relief than a worry, and I remember smiling as the wind brushed against me, and I eagerly anticipated the first drops on rain to cool me down.

"However, my happiness did not last the entire journey. With only a few miles to go until Wellsworth, my train went over the level crossing before the station. Wellsworth was in sight, and I was wondering if Edward would be there. I passed between the wooden gates and the line of cars waiting on one side, taking them in, but you know how it is when you're on the rails: half of the time, you can drift away when something's playing on your mind, and as the day was peaceful and the trip seemed to be going well, I began to think of Gordon and his fuel comments now that I was pulling so much of it behind me.

"I had just left the crossing when I heard a loud crack. My driver stopped the train on instinct and went to make it sure it was nothing serious. I glanced behind and could see one of the gates had come loose and whacked into a tanker. A hole had been torn in the side of one tanker, and the guard and a lorry driver were rushing towards it.

'Bugger,' my driver cursed. 'That is going to get onto the tracks!' I knew his concern was valid: if the fuel caught alight, the spreading black patch would erupt in flames, and that would not end well for anyone that came along. After a brief discussion, the lorry driver rushed along the lines for the station while my driver and the guard tried to prevent the situation getting worse.

'Once we know the line is cleared, I will move us out of the way onto a siding,' he told me as he turned on my lamp light as a warning symbol. 'This is not good at all… all of this fuel is being wasted, and it is going to cause grief for everyone!' His comments made me worry: I did not want any further sorrow for this incident, even though I was not too blame. The engines would not have seen it that way though, and at the time, the only thing I could think of was what Gordon would say, which only shows how young and insecure I was at the time.

"But as I thought of Gordon, I saw something racing towards us from the distance, and within half a minute I could tell it was the big blue engine tearing towards Wellsworth. The Express only stops at Crovan's Gate, you see, so the big engine was going to bypass Wellsworth all together and come straight towards disaster. I thought he would stop, but when Gordon passed between platforms, I realised the lorry driver had not reached there in time.

'Gordon's coming, there is going to be an accident if we don't stop him' I yelled to my driver, imaging the tankers exploding behind him. 'Sound my horn, it might be enough to warn them in time!'

'Good idea,' my driver replied anxiously, and he leapt into my cab and did just that. The sound cut through the silence that comes before a storm, my driver setting it off in short, sharp blasts to get the fear across. I saw Gordon's curious face as he approached us, but his crew appeared to have worked out something was wrong and applied the brakes. A screech filled the air at the same time as I felt rain drops against my face, and I watched as the coaches slammed into one another. I could imagine the passengers being thrown throughout the corridors, but my attention went towards Gordon's shocked face as he approached the fuel. Sparks seemed to be flying from his wheels, and I thought for a moment that this was all going to go up in smoke. However, Gordon finally came to a halt as wheels touched the fuel, pulling up directly alongside me so that I could see into his cab. The coaches were tittering amongst themselves as they rocked into place, and I saw his crew looked stunned as they stood on the footplate, looking out into the accident they had driven directly into.

'That was a close one!' Gordon's driver said, fanning himself with his hand. 'Your horn has saved us all BoCo!' I smiled widely then as the rain properly began to fall, the cool beads taking away the last heat of the day as I imagined what expression was on Gordon's face as he realised I had saved his life.

* * *

Cole beamed at the tale, his eyes flickering back towards the level crossing where BoCo's victory had occurred.

"A proud moment, I take it?" He asked, and BoCo could only beam back in response. "I imagine that Gordon was not happy with the outcome, even if you did save his life?"

"It is sad to say you are right," BoCo replied, the grin falling from his face. "He was definitely relived not to have set himself on fire, but he was not happy that I was the one that saved him. The only upside to this is that he was suffering more from embarrassment than disgust at being rescued by a diesel. He had his comments turned around against him, and I myself was quite satisfied to see him put in his spot."

"But surely he must have treated you better after that?" Cole asked, his image of this younger Gordon making him doubt the engines he was meant to work with. BoCo could see the shock and disgust on the saddle tank's face and wondered what his words were making the grey engine think.

"I cannot say that Gordon changed in that moment, but the spilt fuel was enough to put a severe crack in his thoughts on diesels," BoCo explained. "It took a while to clear the fuel away, but once it was cleared enough Gordon was able to reverse and switch onto another line. When he went past me, I saw a look very similar to the one I had seen at Tidmouth Station when I offered to take his coaches. His look was curious rather than judgemental, and I could tell from a glance he wanted to thank me, but the words just did not come out. But I remember smiling back at him to let him know I knew what he meant to say, and I believe Gordon understood things, because that night, while fuel came up in conversation many times, Gordon did not speak a word about diesels."

"He still should have thanked you properly!" Cole huffed, but BoCo kept on smiling, part of him knowing Cole was right, but his more sensible side knew the truth.

"It is a difficult thing to accept change, especially when it is forced upon you," the diesel replied. "That night, Gordon was starting to see me as an engine and a companion rather than just a filthy diesel, and those first steps marked the biggest progress I had made with any of those engines, and at the time, I couldn't have asked for anything less."

"Besides, you don't know about what Bill and Ben did next…."


	4. Honk

**Honk**

"A week after the fuel incident, I was waiting at this very same platform, a load of empty trucks I was taking to Crovan's Gate coupled behind me, the platforms empty, and a slow moving goods train preventing me from moving ahead. In the same spot where you are now, a younger but just as wise Edward was waiting for passengers in complete shock, unable to process what I had just told him.

'He called you his 'dear engine'?' He said in shock, and I simply smiled back in response. I had come from Tidmouth, but that morning, I had gone to Brendam Bay as normal to collect my trucks and deliver coal trucks for the twins. Imagine my surprise to find Gordon there instead of Edward, trapped and confused by Bill and Ben." Cole looked as stunned as BoCo had been at the time, and the diesel thought fondly back to the scene: driving tiredly into the yard after a night that had been filled with confusion and stress, his eyes coming across Gordon with his own eyes bulged and mouth hanging open, the epitome of confusion as he sat sandwiched in between Bill and Ben. BoCo would never admit it as he despised himself for thinking it, but when he had seen Gordon in his weakest state, he had felt victorious.

"I think you are going to have to back up a bit," Cole asked, and BoCo smiled wickedly.

"Gordon and Edward, for a while, took a night train as part of a new initiative by the old Fat Controller. It was popular for a while and well loved by the passengers needing to travel later, but on this one night, there was a big confusion over a mistaken green flag upsetting the timetable. It caused Edward to carry along the Main Line and Gordon to divert onto Wellsworth. Bill and Ben found Gordon sleeping at Brendam bay when they brought my trucks, and they decided to prank him and threatened to have him scrapped. I am not sure if it was vengeance for me or just a bit of fun, but they frightened Gordon enough that when I arrived, he begged me to save him. I sent Bill and Ben packing, and suddenly Gordon owed his life to me."

"Really?" Cole said in shock. "He finally appreciated you then? You had saved his life only the other day from a legitimate threat! Why was he worried more about Bill and Ben than the fuel?" BoCo winked at Cole, smiling brightly as he imagined Edward in the same spot.

"I was just about to get to that," the diesel replied. "Edward was just as stunned as you were, as only earlier he and Gordon had discussed me, and the express engine stated he did not like me bringing my 'branch line' trains onto the Main Line.

'I cannot believe that he has finally gotten over himself!' Edward exclaimed as he stood where you are now, the tiredness from his long night showing but did not get in his way. 'Gordon is the most stubborn engine I have ever met, and when he wasn't even fazed by the fuel incident I thought this was going to draw out for a while!'

'Same here!' I replied, smiling then as I remembered Gordon's look of relief at my presence. 'Who knew the twins had that much power!'

'I am not sure it was that,' Edward said, though he still laughed. 'Gordon has just had a difficult and long night, so I imagine his guard was down as he awoke in a strange place, surrounded by stranger engines and told he was going to be scrapped. He was unprepared for your arrival, and all Gordon would have thought when he saw you was that someone had come to save him, rather than worrying about it being a diesel. But whatever the circumstances, Gordon can no longer deny that you are a good and honest engine, and will likely see you as a friend now. Don't worry about how you got there: just be glad that you have reached this point, and now you can move on and enjoy your time on Sodor.'"

* * *

"And was Edward right?" Cole asked, wondering if they had reached the happy ending.

"Edward was both right and wrong," BoCo replied with a slight sigh. "Gordon did indeed see a new side to me, and was finally able to look past my different shape and way of running and view me as a proper engine. I would not say we became friends, as I doubt Gordon truly views any of us as friends, but from that day on, he spoke to me as if we were on the same level rather than me being beneath him, and he always had the courtesy not to discuss the modernization of the Other Railway in my presence.

"The only thing was that his change did not affect the other Main Line engines. I was on good speaking terms with the engines of Thomas' branch line and the Narrow Gauge engines whenever I saw them, especially Daisy and Rusty, but that was not very often, and I was left to face the coldness of the Main Line. You may have heard how Henry refused to move from a tunnel near Vicarstown from fear of the rain, and he displayed the same level of stubbornness when it came to me, but I feel that he was the closest to breaking and seeing past my 'faults'. But while Duck remained my friend, the other engines continued to view me as an outcast. Donald and Douglas I could understand, and I did nothing to provoke them or force friendship upon them in risk of upsetting them and putting myself in the firing line.

"But James I could never quite work out. The red engine has a bitter antagonism towards diesels that I never understood when I arrived. He seems to retain a lot of prejudices against many of the engines, whether they are old, different or simply bother him for one reason or the other. Now that Gordon and his hatred had gone out of the way, I was left wondering how I would deal with an engine that had little reason, seemingly, to dislike diesels."

* * *

"The rain on the day of the fuel incident seemed to have started a chain of bad weather. One day, there would be perfectly sunny weather bordering on being too heat, and the next, slate coloured clouds would cover the sky and the threat of rain would hang in the air, though it rarely did after the first time. It was on a rainy day that I found myself once again at Tidmouth Station, bringing a long train of china clay with me. I remember the sky was rumbling, signalling a storm later, but at the time the air was muggy with heat and the passengers waiting on the platform as I passed through looked stressed and irritable."

"I wonder where we've seen that before," Cole said drolly as he looked at the passengers mingling on the station, some listening in on the conversation between the engines, but most looking bored and annoyed as they waited for the lines to clear. A few looked up in annoyance at the comment, and BoCo smiled briefly as Cole squirmed.

"James was waiting at another platform as I went through, the doors of his coaches hanging open with passengers and porters mingling around. I wondered what was happening, but looked away before James noticed me, not in the mood to talk to him; the heat was insufferable even for a diesel, and I did not feel like being insulted. My looking around proved useful, as I saw a haggled mother was struggling to keep her masses of children in order, and they were running around dangerously close to the edge of the platform.

'Should we give them a warning?' I asked my driver, knowing that there was the chance of an accident occurring, and he looked out of my cab at the scene.

'It would be best, I am not having a dead child on my conscience,' he replied, and pressed the button for my horn. The sound echoed around the quiet station and made the majority of the passengers jump and look around, several frowning and others looking stunned. The children leapt backwards in fright, and the mother noticed me watching her and pulled them close. I was pleased to see the children had learnt their lesson and went back to focussing on my trip, but than I heard a familiar laugh from a few metres away.

'Yes James?' I asked, keeping my voice steady even though I was annoyed. I glanced over at James and saw he was grinning at me in a malicious way through the passengers crowding the platforms, some of them now starting to board the train.

'I just never knew how ridiculous and horrible your horn was!' He answered with his grin reaching up to his funnel. 'I am going to have to get the stationmaster to make sure no wonders were broken by that screech.' I smiled back at him even though I was annoyed inside, knowing he was grasping at straws more than actually trying to insult me. My horn seemed to be one of the few things that never got mentioned, but after having my method of existing mocked, I cannot say I was surprised.

'Thanks for the feedback James, but I thought you would have learnt your lesson on mocking other engines. Didn't you mock Toby when he first arrived and then crash into a train of parked fuel tankers?' I asked, and took pleasure in James' face dropping. I had heard from Edward that James had been mocked by Gordon and Henry during his first months over several silly incidents, and so I had little sympathy for the engine that thought it was fine to carry this on.

'I'd watch your words if I was you, diesel!' James hissed back. 'You only have a few friends around here, and I have the influence to turn them all against you and send you packing! I have done it before, and I will do it again! Stay out of my sight and don't let me hear that stupid, dying car horn again!' My driver had heard the exchange and honked my horn as we set off once more, leaving the lit station behind and disappearing into the grey gloom of the world around as I went for Tidmouth Station.

'What a foolish and rude engine,' he grunted as I gathered speed and we were switched across tracks. 'You let me know if he is rude again BoCo and I will sort him out!' I said nothing, hoping he would forget about it and leave me to my own problems. As the sky rumbled again above me, I decided to leave James and his nonsense thoughts back at the station and focus on moving ahead. I would deal with him if he acted up, but I did not want to put too much thought into his silly attempts to hurt me.'

* * *

Cole pulled a face as BoCo finished this part of the story, and the diesel was made curious by the strange expression. "Is something the matter?"

"I don't see why you didn't get your driver to deal with James, or to pass it on to the Fat Controller!" The saddle tank replied, looking perplexed. "I understand what you said before about wanting to deal with the engines on your own, and I respect that, but it seems as though they were just starting to get ridiculous and stupid! Why didn't you just have them put in their place once and for all, especially if James is threatening you?"

"Firstly, one thing you should know about James is that he does not threaten, he boasts," BoCo replied with a sly smile. "He always says that he sent the shunting diesel packing , but in actual fact it was all the Fat Controller's, another one earlier than my time, that got rid of the diesel. And secondly, while it was starting to get irritating, their words were affecting me less now. I was upset with Donald and Douglas' refusal to even talk to me, though I cannot change their justified prejudices, but now that Gordon had stopped trying to insult me and Henry was stopping as well, James' words only showed his immaturity and unfounded knowledge, and I was not going to waste time fretting over him." Cole did not look satisfied with this, and angrily wheeshed steam that made several passengers jump.

"But you said yourself that he had no obvious reason for hating diesels, and that he always acted in this way!" The saddle tank complained. "Why not try and get back at him in some way and make him respect you?" BoCo quickly realised that Cole was not learning the lesson he was trying to get across, but the grey engine's words stirred up another memory, and the diesel found himself thinking of Tidmouth Harbour.

"Well, if you are that desperate to know James got put in his place, than I do have a sort of conclusion to my dealings with him," BoCo explained, and saw Cole's eyes light up at this. He sighed, having wished that Cole would see the message behind his words, but carried on with his tale regardless and simply hoped he would learn the meaning soon.

* * *

"I am not sure how soon after this was, but it must have only been a few days. I had not spoken to James since the station, but whenever we passed, he gave me the same glaring look I would have expected from Donald and Douglas. I did my best to ignore it, especially as my friendship with Duck was going well and I was now facing the same way as the other engines in the shed and engaging in most of their conversations. I did not think I would ever have to deal with James anyway, as I was becoming busier with my trucks and very rarely saw James.

"However, on this day, I arrived at Tidmouth Harbour with one of my longest train of Hoods yet. The sky was blue above but light grey clouds were coming in from the sea, and I had a feeling that it might actually rain. I am not sure if you have ever been to Tidmouth, but it is quite a busy place, even back then. Cargo and cruise ships bob in the water, towering above us engines, and warehouses clutter the area, most of them the size of Tidmouth Station, some bigger. It smells of fish and the sea, and there is never a quiet moment whether you are there at six in the morning or six at night, but it is a fun environment to be in; there are only two places where you truly experience what makes Sodor tick, and that is Vicarstown Station and Tidmouth Harbour, our two central links to the outside world and the hub of our trade and passengers.

"I was use to the noise and the smells after going there for several weeks, and I saw familiar faces as I went for the usual spot where the China Clay trucks went. A huge ship called _Princess_ took the clay away, and I would have to wait for my loads to be taken away before I could leave myself. I remember looking to the sky and wondering if I would be caught in a storm, but than a familiar whistle distracted me. I watched as James came up from around a warehouse, a sneer on his face as he blew his whistle to warn the workers. Several moved off the rails as he came chugging along, pulling a long train of vans behind him. James is well known for disliking goods trains, so I was satisfied to see his discomfort, though that could have been his way of mocking me further.

'It may be because I take a diesel, but I cannot stand the sound of whistles,' my driver grunted, appearing next to my front as James came closer. 'But you would not see us getting snappy with him about it!' He had mentioned to me earlier that several of the other engine's crews saw no problem with there being a diesel on the line, and I remembered that then as James shot me a glare and blew his whistle loudly once more, the sharp, long note echoing throughout the harbour and sounding above almost everything else.

'See you around BoCo, try not to leak your train anywhere again!' The red engine yelled as he passed, and I merely rolled my eyes, wondering why he was still being a child. But as that thought occurred to me, there was a snap from above and shout from nearby, and a moment later there was a loud _thunk_.

"As you can imagine, at a bigger harbour with bigger boats, there are going to be bigger cranes to deal these things. The cranes at Tidmouth Harbour were just as tall as the boats, most of them gantry cranes that rolled along the same path as the tracks, their long arms sticking up in the air and hovering above the water. One of these cranes had been unloading crates from a ship further along when the chain had snapped. The crates had fallen to the ground, but James had passed under the path just as they fell. He yelled out as one fell directly onto him, and despite his mocking of me, I hoped he was alright, only able to see his train coming to a halt.

'That sounded serious,' my driver muttered, and he rushed down to check on the situation. I was left on my own for a minute, worrying about James and the delays that would be caused, watching the clouds creep further in from the sea. When my driver returned, I looked to him for answers, but only found him laughing.

'What is it?' I asked, stunned by his broad, smiling face, and it took him several moments to control himself before answering.

'The crate landed directly on James' cab roof. I shouldn't be laughing as it came close to hitting his crew, but it only left a huge dent, cracked his windows, and… and… it broke his whistle!' He answered, struggling on the last bit and breaking into laughter once again. 'The whole thing was knocked off and they can't fit it back in.' I found the funny side and the irony, but a more worrying thought crossed my mind.

'But if James doesn't have a whistle, he isn't going to be able to take his train, is he?' I asked, as all engines know that this must have a method of warning passengers, vehicles, animals and the like. My driver smiled even wider at this, and it occurred to me just what would be so funny, and I began to laugh as well…'

* * *

"It took a few minutes for me to rearrange my trucks and get around in front, but soon I was leading James and his train to Tidmouth Station. One of the Harbour Managers called ahead, and a spare engine was going to take James up to Crovan's Gate to have his whistle fixed as I would have to get back to my train, so I decided to make the most of the time we had together. I went slowly through the harbour, sticking rigorously to the speed limit we were meant to follow, and at the same time my driver would constantly blow my horn, letting it loudly sound for everyone to hear. I could imagine James seething with rage behind me, and even when we left the harbour and its speed limit behind, I went at the same agonizingly slow pace, just to torture James for a few more minutes."

"A well deserved punishment," Cole said, bursting into laughter himself.

"We finally reached Tidmouth Station after about twenty minutes, and James was fuming as we pulled up to the platform as I honked my horn several more times to alert everyone, though there were only a few passengers left on the station.

'I believe they are going to send one of the twins to take you up,' I informed James as I switched tracks and reversed to be alongside him. The red engine merely grunted, looking furiously in the other direction to avoid contact with me. It was at this point that I finally lost it with James: he could have been stuck at the harbour if I had not agreed to take him up, and I was getting ignored rather than gratitude for very little reason, so it may please you to know I lost my temper.

'What is your issue with me James?' I asked, keeping my voice low to not attract attention but putting fury into it all the same. 'I have done nothing to you that I am aware of, and I do not believe you have any reason to dislike diesel engines, so –'

'Actually, I do!' James said angrily, but fell silent when he realised what he had said and looked away. I was taken aback by this, and I can tell you are as well, and I was not sure what to say to him. I waited patiently for him to talk again, and after a long pause, James sighed and looked back at me, his face sunken and sad.

'I had an accident on my first day here,' he explained. 'I had faulty brakes and it caused me to derail quite badly. Thomas came to my rescue though and I was sent away to be repaired at a workshop on the Other Railway. There were several workers there that were talking about new diesel locomotives being developed, and many were saying that steam engines were soon going to be outdated. I remember one even joked about not bothering to repair us as we'd all be scrapped soon enough. I was frightened at the time, but when I came to Sodor, I realised that was not going to happen and forgot about it. But than we had to deal with Diesel coming here and insulting us, and I saw that Rusty engine arrive on the Skarloey Railway and upset Duncan, so the thoughts all came back to me. I don't want diesels to take over our lines and send us all to the scrap heap, is that clear?'

'Crystal,' I replied after a few moments, and my eyes met James'. His face was stubborn once more and he looked angry, but I could see that he was actually hurt and concerned, seeing me as a threat to his future on the Island. I decided it was time to go after that, but as I left with just my thoughts, James spoke up.

'Thanks… thanks for taking me up here,' he said quietly, his voice bitter as if he did not want to say it, but I understood all the same. I went back to Tidmouth Harbour smiling, and after that day, while James was not exactly pleasant, as I do not think he ever is, he was at least as civil as possible, and no one ever mentioned my horn again.


	5. Pulling Through

**Pulling Through**

There was silence as Cole dwelled over these words, and BoCo smiled contently to himself, staring up at the skies above and wishing it was cloudy once again. _It's not as hot as the hottest day_…,the diesel thought to himself, but he would wait for Cole to speak before finishing his story.

"So James sort of had a reason for distrusting you, didn't he?" The saddle tank said after a minute, and BoCo nodded. "I still think it was unfair of him to let that all out on you when you hadn't even done anything to him yet!"

"In a way, yes, it was quite rude of James, but that is simply his personality and he did not know better at the time," BoCo replied. "His words were not that hurtful and I was able to brush them aside, and in the end, I believe James learnt his lesson and began to trust me, and that is the only really important thing to take out from his rudeness: he judged me harshly at first, but after he let his feelings out and I proved myself a friend, James began to respect me and see me as a colleague." Cole pondered over this, and BoCo had a feeling that his story was starting to sink in.

"Did James ever truly start trusting diesels?" Cole asked.

"In time, yes, though it took a while longer for him to trust _all_ diesels, but that is a tale for another time," BoCo said with a smile. "I still have one more story for you Cole, and by the time I have finished, we will hopefully be able to go on our ways, and you will hopefully have seen the purpose to this all." Cole looked a bit confused as he was not sure what he was meant to be learning, but BoCo shut his eyes as he formed the scene around him, continuing to smile as it all came rushing back to him.

* * *

"During the last few weeks of summer, Edward took another enthusiast's train. Unfortunately, while rushing to ensure he got his passengers back, his side rods broke, though Edward managed to complete his journey on time. The Fat Controller was so impressed that he allowed him to have a break by getting a proper check over at the Works while his side rods were replaced.

"In his absence, the Fat Controller put me in charge of the line. I found it a great honour as I had only been there for only around two months at the time, but I promised to him and myself that I would the line running smoothly. It meant a lot more work, but I was kept solely on the branch line, which was a much needed break from the lingering awkwardness on the Main Line. There was still the hint of tension with Henry and James, and Donald and Douglas continued to not talk to me, so I was pleased to be able to get to know the line I had been brought to help run and leave the Main Line behind.

"There had been a storm during Edward's enthusiast's train, but it seemed to have been the last of the season: there had been no rain since, and the day's kept getting clearer and hotter. It was a pain to be so hot, and the passengers, coaches and trucks moaned constantly, the only thing the three have in common, but at least I could experience the line in glorious brightness and sunshine. The fields and trees surrounding the line were at their greenest, and the ocean was as a dazzling plain of blue. I became so busy that all thoughts of what had transpired on the Main Line left me, and I when I slept, I became so tired that I simply fell asleep, and sleepless nights brought me only thoughts of my day."

* * *

"I did not speak with that many engines during my stay there except for a few that paused briefly at Wellsworth to collect or drop off their trains and passengers. However, a week after I had started working at Wellsworth, I arrived at the station on a day like today with a long line of Hoods behind me. I was not able to take the trucks to Tidmouth myself as there were the passenger trains to work with as well, so I would bring the trucks to Wellsworth, leave them in the sidings, and another engine would soon collect them. But when I arrived on that day, I found Douglas simmering at the opposite platform with nothing coupled behind him.

"Now, as I said earlier, I have never had a proper conversation with either of the Scottish twins, so I felt quite nervous as I came to a stop at my platform. It seemed as though there were miles of track sitting between the two of us, and the air was heavy with something other than heat. I came to a halt and waited as men came forwards to uncouple me, knowing that it would be over soon. Douglas was glaring at me, not even trying to hide it, even when I looked across at him. It felt as though his eyes were drilling into me, and in a moment I was drawn back into the awkwardness and tension I thought I had finally gotten out of.

"However, I knew that I could not keep avoiding the twins. If I did, I would never end up talking to them, and every time we met would be as awkward as that moment was. The workers were going quickly, and I suddenly wanted them to slow down as I struggled to think of something to say.

'Nice weather, isn't it?' I said, and instantly froze, realising it was the first thing that had come to mind. I looked nervously at Douglas to see how he would react, but his face remained the same expression of stony anger that it had been for the past minute. Silence filled the air to join the tension and heat, and I remember willing the workers to go faster now, realising than that I had made a serious mistake.

'You may have won over Edward, Duck and Gordon, but you will not win me and my brother over as easily,' Douglas replied, his voice as cold as ice. 'I do not trust diesels, especially ones that force their ways into my life and infiltrate my friends. Leave me and Donal' in peace, and there will be no need for us to talk again, but try and annoy us further, and we will both make you sorry.'

"It took me a while to get back to Brendam to collect my coaches. In reality, it would have gone faster than I thought it had, but Douglas' words weighed down on me, and I became lost in my thoughts for the whole journey back. I had thought up until then that I had been making a lot of progress with the engines, but Douglas only brought me back down to earth. I realised then that there was still a long way for me to go to be fully accepted as a part of this railway, and I rolled slowly back to Brendam wondering if I would ever be able to achieve that."

* * *

Cole had fallen silent as BoCo's story had progressed, and the diesel could see that he was looking quite uncomfortable, an expression of not knowing at all what to say. BoCo smiled at him, pleased to see that Cole was potentially being humbled by his tale.

"Don't worry, we know how this is going to end, don't we?" The long diesel said with a twinkle in his eye, and Cole smiled, instantly looking more relaxed. "Funnily enough, my fears were about to be proved unfounded within a very short period of time.

"The storms and rain had been a welcome relief from the intense heat that threatened to melt us all, and none of the engines had complained at all about it. However, I had overheard the old Wellsworth station master telling me driver that the raging water was causing troubles in Tidmouth. There was a threat that the storm water and debris washed up into the river were going to get into the water supply, which would have terrible consequences on the steam engines if things got into their pipes.

"A few days after my awkward and upsetting encounter with Douglas, I was sent to Tidmouth Station to take my Hoods. I was so preoccupied thinking about what the Scottish engine had said that I saw nothing suspicious in my orders being changed for the first time since Edward had left, and as I rushed along the Main Line with my trucks rattling behind me, I could only think to myself if I would be able to be accepted into the line, and did not notice that there were not any other engines waiting at the other stations.

"I neared Tidmouth Station, but I could hear it before I got there. There was a general loud buzzing of noise I would have expected late in the day, but it was only early morning. I slowed down upon my approach and saw the platforms were crowded with passengers, every one of them yelling at nothing in particular. It felt strange to move between crowded platforms of screaming people, with all of them turning to look and point at me as I passed, and I felt as though I was moving through them to be condemned. I looked around for signs of any other engines, both found no one else was there.

'This seems a bit suspicious,' my driver said from my cab as we moved out towards the sidings. 'I will stop you here and go back to see what is going on.' I agreed as it seemed quite curious, but I noticed several figures rushing towards me: The Fat Controller, the stationmaster, the railway inspector whose car I had driven into and another man who I presumed was a second inspector. My fears of being sent away or scrapped rose at that point, but the Fat Controller looked stressed rather than angry, and he beckoned for my driver.

'Our water supply has been shut off,' the controller said bluntly. 'The water company tells me that their equipment has been damaged by large pieces of wood and rubbish being washed up from the storms, and it will take several hours to repair. They have to keep the rest of the water on tap for the fire department, as summer always brings with it an increased risk of fire, but that leaves me in a serious pickle. There are all these passengers here waiting for dozens of trains that I cannot possibly give them, as well as fish and fruit piling high across my harbours. The best solution I have is to get these passengers to Crovan's Gate as extras on the Express, and then have buses take them from the Narrow Gauge railway.'

'And you want BoCo to be the engine to pull the train?' My driver asked, and the Fat Controller nodded. Everyone turned towards me, and I froze in shock. This would be one of the biggest tasks an engine could possibly receive, taking more coaches than I had ever done before and trying to save the line and its image.

'But sir, I deal better with trucks, I am not familiar with coaches.'

'Nonsense, you took the Express beautifully when James was indisposed a few weeks ago, and I have had good reports about your work on Edward's line,' the Fat Controller replied with a warm smile. 'You are the best engine for the job, and it is lucky that you happen to be the only engine. The railway needs you BoCo, so I hope you will be able to do this.' I looked between all the men staring at me, their eyes intent and their faces solemn. I thought of how the engines would react, wondering if they would be angry for me taking their trains or grateful for what I would do, but the pressure was piling on, and I knew there was only one answer the Fat Controller wanted to hear."

* * *

"Duck was on hand to take my trucks away to Tidmouth Harbour, where he was going to help organize the trucks so they would be ready to take away as soon as the water system was working again.

'Don't worry about this, your strong; you will be able to handle these coaches easily,' the Great Western engine told me as I backed down onto my long line of coaches. I had not even seen how many there were, but I knew how long the Express was, and extra coaches had been added. I smiled back at Duck, but found myself unable to put a sentence together, my mind focussing upon how hard this would be, and how much was riding on this.

'Good luck and have fun!' Duck said before he left. 'We are all cheering you on!'

'All of you?' I asked uncertainly, but Duck was saved from an awkward reply by the guard's whistle. Time seemed to have suddenly sped up, as I remember it seeming like only a moment had occurred between being coupled up and the whistle blowing. Duck reversed away to take the China Clay trucks, and I sighed and readied myself for the train. _I can do this, _I told myself. _I will take this train and show Donald, Douglas, James and Henry what a diesel engine is capable of doing, and how much they care. _

"I went forwards, and instantly felt my strength vanish: it seemed as though I was pulling three different freight trains behind me, the weight of what felt like fifty coaches threatening to hold me back. There was a moment where I thought my wheels may slip or my engine would blow and this whole operation would be a failure, but I slowly started forwards, the coaches swaying behind me. It took a moment to gather speed, but I quickly became use to the weight, and within two minutes I had cleared the station and was starting off down the line."

"So the trip went well then?" Cole asked optimistically, but BoCo chuckled to himself.

"Do they ever?" He replied, glancing around at the grumpy passengers that still filled the platform. "Things went well for the start of the trip. I was able to gather speed as the line ahead was going to be clear and I was not going to stop at any stations except for Crovan's Gate, and once I was moving quickly and smoothly, the coaches followed reliably along behind me. I didn't even feel the weight of them behind me for most of the journey, though I was very aware of what was behind me and what lay before me if I succeeded or failed with this. I tried not to think about Donald or Douglas or any possible cruel remarks that may be delivered at my expense, and instead focussed on trying to keep moving forwards and get the passengers to their buses.

"But than I reached Gordon's Hill. I am not sure if you would have had to cross this hill, but it is the steepest section on the Main Line and probably within the entire North Western Railway. This bump has been the bane of many engines in the past, and when I realised I was going to have to go over it, I became filled with dread; Gordon had gotten stuck there with a train much less heavy than mine, so how on earth was I supposed to get up it?

"My driver must have had the same fears, but he did not voice them to me as we began to climb, as he probably did not want both of us to fret. The hill looked even more daunting from the very bottom, and once I began to climb it, the weight of the coaches quickly began to increase. I don't think the first six coaches had even began to climb before I started to struggle, the weight slowing me down, and by the time ten had gotten up, I was truly slowing down.

'This is going to be a struggle BoCo,' my driver called out. 'I would slow things down if I could, but I think we will need as much speed going up as possible to keep the train moving.' I was working too hard to reply, the weight of the coaches threatening to tear me in two. I could already feel my engine grumbling, and as I slowed down despite my wheels spinning the same speed, I wondered if I would make it to the top. I was getting closer, but it was slow and painful, and I had no idea if all the coaches were even following me up. My engine started to grow loudly and more audibly, and I thought that something was going to explode before I had even neared the top. The sun was shining down on me, and the rails were hot as my wheels refused to grip them properly, and for a moment I thought the hill might be a mirage and the top was even further than I expected.

_I must do this, I must do this, I must do this_, I told myself as I shut my eyes and surged forwards as much as possible with every ounce of determination I could muster. I knew that I had to reach the top, get over this hill and reach Crovan's Gate and Vicarstown. If I didn't, than there was not telling what the consequences may be.

"With every bit of effort I could possibly muster, using all the power at my disposal, I forced myself up the last few metres. I opened my eyes as I felt the ground level out before me, and I saw the sight of the town lying below, the rails curving down the hillside, the wide world that lay ahead, and I knew at once that I had succeeded.

"The rest of the trip was a blur as my elation and relief washed over me. I remember vaguely sailing down the hill, but the rest until Crovan's Gate was simply trees and houses mixing together into one. I was too happy about getting over the hill in one piece to even care about how everything else might go, and I kept thinking about what the other engines would think when I returned.

"I arrived at Crovan's Gate as a cloud passed over the sun, sending me temporarily into light darkness as I slowly rolled up to the platform. I noticed a strange noise in my engine, but I did not worry about it as I finally stopped, and a second later the doors were flung open and the passengers poured out onto the concrete, overflowing it within seconds. Haggled stationmasters and porters had to shout and use flags to signal where people had to go for their respective buses, but the noise all seemed happy to me.

'You look relieved,' a voice said to my left, and I remember being stunned, not thinking anyone other engines was around. I looked down though at the thinner tracks and saw a small red saddle tank, a miniature you, and I quickly worked out who it was.

'You're Skarloey, aren't you?' I asked. 'I have heard a lot about you.'

'Same here,' the old engine replied with a kind smile. 'Many of the engines have talked about you BoCo, though I hope you do not mind me saying that their words have not exactly been kind.'

'I would not have expected them to,' I replied, my joy slipping away.

'They are beginning to change, if that is any consolation,' Skarloey replied as the passengers thinned from the platform. 'The engines are young by my standards and are not use to change, but they will bend eventually, don't you worry. One of our engines, Duncan, could not cope with our diesel Rusty, but he was worn down in time, so your engines will change as well. However, we Narrow Gauge engines are much wiser,' he added cheekily, and we both laughed. A guard's whistle sounded, and I thought it was time for me to leave, but Skarloey suddenly jerked forwards, steam issuing all around him. 'I hope to see you again BoCo, and I imagine by the time we meet again, you would have been accepted.'

"I still remember Skarloey's smile as the little engine trundled down his line and disappeared around the corner and up within his line that I will never be able to experience. The smile reminded me of Edward, a smile composed of wisdom and kindness, and I knew then that I truly succeeded that today. I sat them for a few more minutes, letting the sun wash over me as the cloud parted away, the warmth welcome and glorious. For the first time, in that moment, I knew that I had the chance to get past all of this and make a difference. And you know what Cole… I was right."

* * *

BoCo finished speaking as a door slammed open to his left, and he looked away from Cole to find the stationmaster rushing onto the platform with a relieved look on his face.

"The track ahead has been cleared enough for the railway to get moving once again!" He told the waiting passengers with a smile on his face, and many of them cheered in delight and relief. "Your train will be leaving shortly if you would all like to get back onboard." There was a mad rush for the coaches that nearly sent the stationmaster flying, and BoCo smiled as he thought back to the similar rush of passengers trying to get out of the coaches.

"Of course the line would be cleared just as you reached the end," Cole laughed, though he was sad that the tale had ended. "I am going to guess that there was a happy ending to this story?"

"Would I be here if I wasn't?" BoCo laughed. "When I brought the coaches back to Tidmouth, tired and weary, the water supply was slowly being turned back on, and I was able to be showered in praise from Duck, Gordon and Henry. I did not see the Fat Controller for a few days, but he made the journey to Wellsworth to praise me on my achievements and how I was a credit to the railway, and promised I would have my groaning engine properly checked once Edward returned. It was all flattering, but I was not taken aback until I took a train to Tidmouth due to other delays and saw James, Donald and Douglas all at once. They all appreciated what I had done, and James was the first to praise me. Donald and Douglas were slower to come around, but the barrier had fallen, and I was able to talk to them properly for the first time. By the time Edward returned as proud as possible with what I had done, I had befriended all the engines on the Main Line, and for the first time, I felt accepted."

The passengers were nearly all onboard, but BoCo wished they would slow down. He looked across at Cole and saw the saddle tank was staring intently at the rail in front of him, not paying attention to anything else but his thoughts.

"I hope you saw what I was trying to get across," the diesel said as the last of the coach doors slammed shut behind him. "Bill and Ben will begin to respect you eventually, but you must let them settle into it. As I may have shown you, the opportunities to fix them will present themselves, and you will have an easier time with winning them over than I ever did with the Main Line engines. Respect must be earned, not forced upon the other engines, and first you must build a friendship and let them see you are not trying to replace me." BoCo smiled briefly at the irony of that, but his thoughts were interrupted as the guard blew the whistle behind him, and BoCo roared into life once again.

"I shall see you again soon Cole," the diesel called out as he began to move forward. "I hope you consider my words carefully."

"Goodbye BoCo, thank you for the story," Cole replied with a kind smile, and BoCo smiled back as the platform and the saddle tank slid away, the station being replaced with trees, roads and cottages once more. Another engine would have been glad to be moving once again, but BoCo could not think of the journey ahead. His mind remained in the sixties, and BoCo smiled to himself as he thought of the journey he had been through. Decades had passed, but BoCo would never be able to shake the feelings he had had during his first weeks on Sodor, nor would he ever forget the delight of when he was finally accepted by everyone.

_Cole does not truly know what it was like, none of the engines do, _BoCo thought to himself, _but I cannot hold that against any of them. Skarloey was right… he is much older and wiser than many of them. _BoCo laughed to himself, and the smile remained on his face as he continued on his journey, glad to know he was able to look back on that time with fondness and that he had made it to where he was today.

**I hope you all enjoyed my latest Railway Series offering. I wanted to write something focussed less on dramatic accidents and more looking at the engines, so hopefully I pulled it off :P There will be less time until my next RWS one comes out, most likely in December, so see you all again then! **


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